Robert Whitescarver

"Bobby’s book, being an Almanac, is even better than the Farmer’s version. It combines storytelling, personal and professional wisdom, keen love of the land, and a call to action for better stewardship. Swoope Almanac is a gift to all of us who aspire to make a lasting change on the land and for the water that flows through it."

David Hirschman

Robert “Bobby” Whitescarver is a beef cattle farmer, watershed restoration consultant, award-winning writer, and educator. Retired from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service with 31 years of field experience, Bobby teaches natural resources management at James Madison University (JMU) and is president of a private environmental consulting firm. He graduated from Virginia Tech with a BS in Agronomy and has an MPA from JMU. Last year, he and his wife, Jeanne Hoffman were selected as soil health champions by the National Association of Conservation Districts. Bobby and Jeanne excluded cattle from the streams on their farm and installed riparian buffers in 2004. Bobby has helped farmers in Virginia exclude cattle from over 600 miles of streams.